Loose-leaf binder.



J. T. BRINK & E. NORDSTROM.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 19, 1912.

.1,042,231 3. Y Patented 001;. 22, 1912.

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JOHN T. DRINK AND EDWARD NORDSTROM, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Application filed January 19, 1912.

10 all whom lz? may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN T. BRINK and EDWARD NORDSTROM, both citizensof the United States, and residents of Topeka, in the county of Shawneeand State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Loose- LeafBinder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved form ofloose leaf binder constructed so as to be of substantially unlimitedcapacity, and capable of quick and easy opening and closing forinserting or removing leaves.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improvedstructure which when assembled includes a plurality of rigidlypositioned posts for holding leaves in position, associated with meansfor instantly causing an extension of the binder after which a leaf maybe inserted or removed and the binder again contracted or reassembled.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an expansibleloose leaf binder constructed with telescoping posts, one of which beingformed as a binding post, in which the inner members thereof may beclamped to the outer member at any desired points of relativelongitudinal adjustment between the inner and outer members.

In carrying out the objects of the invention, any desired form of backmay be used, to which are connected a front and back metallic housingcarrying a plurality of post-s, one of which acts as a locking post. Thelocking post is associated with locking means extending to one end ofone of the metallic housings so that the posts may be properly lockedand unlocked quickly from one side ofthe binder. Arranged in the housingopposite the locking means are a plurality of devices for engaging andholding posts rigidly in position, these devices being adapted to bedisconnected from the posts whenever desired, either for permitting theaddition of auxiliary posts, or

.merely for the purpose of inspection.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view through a binderembodying the features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectionSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 22,191.2.

Serial No. 672,063.

through Fig. 1 on line 2 2; Fig. 3 is a sect-ion through Fig. 1,approximately' on the line 3 3; Fig. 4 is a section through Fig. 1approximately on the line 4-4, the locking member being shown in an openor unlocked position; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail perspective view ofthe locking nut; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the locking sleeve;Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the locking bolt; and Fig. S is a sideview with certain parts broken away, disclosing an auxiliary orextension post.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates part ofthe upper cover and 2 part of the lower cover. The upper cover is formedwith a housing or binding plate 3, having a covering lid 4 connectedtherewith in any suitable manner, as for instance, by rivets 5. Thecover 2 is formed with a housing or binding plate 6, provided with acover 7 held in place by bars 8, 9, and 10, each of which is preferablyformed rectangular in order to engage the locking nuts 11, 12, and 13,respectively. The locking nuts 11, 12, and 13, are each divided intohalf and formed with a wedgeshaped opening 14 designed to receive aV-shaped projection 15 extending from the reciprocatiiig plate 16. Eachof the nuts 11, 12, and 13 are beveled on two of their faces so that thenuts will be substantially wedgeshaped for fitting against the bevelwalls of openings 17, 18, and 19 formed in the plate 16. The plate 16 isformed with an arm 20 having a lug 21 projecting therefrom for normallyengaging the end of the 'housing 6 for preventing any longitudinalmovement of the plate 16 in one direction. A hand-operated member 22 isprovided on the end of the arm 20 which is positioned on the exterior ofthe housing 6 so that the same may be grasped and pushed downward untilthe lug or catch 21 is disengaged. This movement is permitted by thespring of the arm 20 so that the arm 20 and the lug or catch 21 may bepulled out through an opening 23 until the plate 16 is moved asuiiicient distance for opening all of the nuts 11, 12, and 13. In Fig.4 the nut 13 is shown in open position, from which it will be observedthat the threads of the nut are disengaged from the post 24. Therespective nuts 11, 12, 13, engage the respective posts 24, 25, and 26,the post 25 being the locking post.

Telescoping over the posts 26 and 24 are tubular posts 27 and 2S securedto the housing 3 by a suitable thread and arranged to project into thehousing 3 for a considerable distance, preferably to near the top of thehousing. Each of the posts 27 and 23 is formed with a shoulder 29 forcri-acting with shoulders 30 and 31 formed on the posts 26 and 24 inorder to prevent the removal of posts 26 and 24 from the tubular posts27 and 28 when the binder is expanded. Incidentally this will preventthe locking post 25 from becoming disengaged with the locking sleeve 32and the locking bolt 33. rThe locking sleeve 32 is secured to thehousing 3 by threads or other desired means, and is formed with aplurality of slots 34 for permitting an enlargement 35 of the bolt- 33to expand the same and press against the walls of the tubular post 25.This will lock the posts 26 and 24 and their :respective tubularsurrounding posts 27 and 28, in any adjusted position, and also permitthe locking and unlocking of the binder for the insertion and removal ofthe leaves.

The locking post 33 is threaded at 36 for receiving a locking nut 37formed with a pair of cam faces 38 and 39, and a central projection 40.The central projection 40 is arranged to project through a slot 41 in alocking plate 42, and the cam faces 38 and 39 are adapted to pressagainst the upper surface of the cam member 43 projecting from thelocking plate 42. The cam member 43 is arranged to extend at an angle tothe general direction of the housing 3 so that a longitudinal movementof the same will cause a transverse movement of the locking nut 37 andlocking bolt 33. The locking plate 42 is provided with an aperture 44for accommodating the tubular sleeve 27 and one of the rivets 5. Theplate 42 is also formed with an arm 45 adapted to be suiiicientlyresilient for permitting the offset 46 to pass out opening 47 when thehand-operated Vmember 4S is moving longitudinally away from the housing3. It will be evident that the longitudinal movement of the lockingplate 42 in one direction will cause the locking bolt 33 to lock ,thepost against longitudinal movement and the moving of the locking plate42 in an opposite direction will permit a free movement of the postsunder the action of springs 49 and 50 mounted in sockets formed in theposts 26 and 24. From this construction and arrangement it will beevident that upon an outward movement of the hand-operated member 48 thebinder will be unlocked and will be substantially instantly expanded bythe springs 49 and 50, these springs being normally under tension. rTheleaves then may be inserted if the same are of the variety having slotstherein which will accommodate thel respective posts. However, if leaveshaving only holes or apertures therein are used the plate 16 must bemoved longitudinally for disconnecting` the housing from the posts 24,25 and 26. After the back 2 has been removed, to which the housing 6 issecured, the leaves may be placed in position and then the back againconnected with the respective posts, after which the binder may beclosed by pressing the back and cover together until the leaves areclamped properly, and then operating the locking plate 42 for causingthe locking bar 43, by means of the locking post 33, to clamp the sleeve32 against the post 25.

The respective posts may be made of any desired length, but theextension of the binder upon the releasing of the lock will be slightlyless than the length of the respective posts. This extension is quicklyaccomplished, and is designed to permit the quick insertion and removalof leaves up to the ordinary limit of the binder. l/Vhen it is foundthat the binder is expanded to substantially its full limit, additionalor auxiliary posts 51 are screwed on to the posts 24, 25, 26, theseauxiliary posts being threaded at 52 for fitting over the threaded endsof the respective posts. The auxiliary posts 51 are threaded at 53 forreceiving the nuts 11, 12 and 13. The auxiliary posts 51 may be made ofany desired length, but are preferably made comparatively short so thatthe enlargement of the binder will be such as to allow the usual actionof the various parts. It will be evident that any desired number ofauxiliary posts 51 may be added so that the binder is unlimited as toits capacity for receiving leaves.

By providing means for quickly expanding the binder and also byproviding means for enlarging the binder, the insertion or removal ofleaves is facilitated and a binder having unlimited capacity isprovided. Notwithstanding these advantages the arrangement of the postsas described, gives a rigidity and strength to the binder found in thepermanently secured posts.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. 1n a loose leaf binder, a front plate, a back plate, said back platebeing formed as a housing, a plurality of impaling posts rigidlyconnected to said front plate, each of said impaling posts extendinginto said back plate, and the posts extending into said back plate beingformed with grip-engaging means, grips arranged in said back formed intoa plurality of parts, and a reciprocating cam member engaging the partsof each of said grips for causing the same to engage the grippingengaging means of said im' paling posts.

2. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of binding plates one of which isformed as a housing, a plurality of impaling posts, each of saidimpaling posts being formed with a gripping portion extending into thebinding plate formed as a housing, a divided gripping member formed withinclined sides for each of said impaling posts, and a manuallyoperatedreciprocating bar formed with apertures having inclined sides co-actingwith the inclined sides of said gripping members whereby when said baris moved in one direction, said gripping members will engage saidimpaling posts and lock said binding plates together, and when moved inthe opposite direction said gripping members will be released from saidimpaling posts.

3. ln a loose leaf binder, a pair of binding plates formed as housings,a plurality of extensible impaling posts rigidly connected at one endwith one of said plates, means mounted in said last mentioned plate forlocking the plates against extension, a divided nut engaging theopposite end of said posts to that arranged in said last mentionedplate, and a locking plate carried in the second binding plate andformed with bevel walls and a projection for clamping the parts of saidnuts to said posts when in one position, and for spreading said nutswhen in another position, whereby said posts may be clamped and releasedat will by a proper movement of said locking plate.

t. In a loose leaf binder, a front binding plate, a back binding plate,a plurality of telescoping impaling posts connected with said bindingplates, the ends of said posts positioned in said back plate beingthreaded, a dividing nut formed with tapering sides engaging thethreaded end of each of said posts, and a reciprocating locking plateformed with apertures therein having tapering sides engaging thetapering sides of said nuts for forcing the nuts against the threadedends of said posts, and also formed with a wedge-shaped projectionextending between the parts of said nuts for separating the parts ofsaid nuts when the locking plate is moved to its unlocking positionwhereby said back plate will be disconnected from said posts.

5. ln a loose leaf binder, a front plate, a back plate, a plurality ofposts secured to said front plate, and threaded at their ends oppositesaid front plate, an auxiliary post threaded on to each of said firstmentioned posts for lengthening the same, each of said auxiliary postsbeing formed with a threaded end extending into said back plate, adivided nut engaging the threaded ends of said auxiliary postsprojecting into said back plate, and a locking plate operativelyconnected with said nuts for causing the same to engage and disengagethe threaded ends of said auxiliary posts according to the position ofthe locking plate for connecting and disconnecting said back plate.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN T. BRINK. EDl/VARD NORDSTROM. Vitnesses:

GERTRUDE HANNAH, ANTOINETTE WILLIAMs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

